Tortall's Twin Part 2: Daine
by Junipertree
Summary: Whoopee! I put up the next three chapters, and this is the end. This is not for Daine lovers, she is being very bad. This starts halfway through Emperor Mage...****Author's note added, please read****
1. Married

I've been having mega writer's block. I am going over the same ideas over and over in my head, and worrying myself to death about Neal Gets Drunk chapter 2, and generally going AAAARGH! A lot. It is very frustrating. So I am going to write, and hope that ideas flow from the pages… fat chance. This starts when Daine is in Carthak, during Emperor Mage. I said a while ago that this would be brutal to D/N fans; I lied. I'm going to do another thing that is brutal to them. So walk forward without fear!

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Tortall's Twin

Part Two: Daine

Veralidaine Sarrasri was walking towards her rooms when Harailt of Ali bumped into her. 

"Oops- sorry. It's just been so hectic lately. The peace negotiations haven't been going exactly as planned, and it's just been one thing after another…"

"Fishing rights?" asked Daine.

"Worse. The Emperor refused to co-operate at all unless Prince Kaddar was married to Kalasin within the next full moon."

Daine squeaked, "But she's only _ten. _Thayet won't hear of a marriage being set up until she's thirteen or fourteen! And this wasn't talked about before we arrived!"

Harailt looked grim. "You'd better come with us. Your miracle with the Emperor's birds might put his in a better state of mind."

He pulled Daine with him into the conference rooms, as Daine anticipated another long and boring talk. What she didn't know is that it was about to get anything but boring…

"We _refuse _to have a little girl of _ten _married to your sixteen-year-old heir! Your Imperial Majesty, please think reasonably! The Queen would never accept your terms!"

"I see nothing wrong with a simple alliance through marriage between two just and honest (muttering in the crowd) countries."

"But a _child._ Cannot you wait until she is of age? Is there not some other noble or person of importance that could go in her place?"

Ozorne's debater looked thoughtful, and turned to Ozorne. There was quiet talking and conferring going on between Ozorne and his nobles. Then the Emperor's gaze turned upon Daine, and she shivered icily.

"I believe we can compromise." He replied. "We have decided that the marriage between Kalasin and Kaddar would not work with your unwilling Monarchs. (More muttering). Therefore we have decided that in place of Princess Kalasin, Veralidaine Sarrasri will marry my nephew, Prince Kaddar, within the next full moon."

Much talking broke out then, shouts and arguments. 

"But she is of no blood! A common-born maid with no given status until now!"

"Do you question our motives?" Ozorne asked.

"Why would the heir to the throne of Carthak marry the bastard of a poor Gallan hedgewitch?" someone yelled. Daine flushed with anger on this remark about her Ma.

"I wish to reward Veralidaine for curing out birds so marvelously. That is our final word." Ozorne said, leaving the room. Many baffled nobles were left in his wake.

***

An angry and confused Daine was somehow married to the Prince of Carthak a week later. She was still in a slight daze, not quite following the events, only a furious Numair registering on her senses. Why the hell would she end up like this? It was all so very very twisted.

I know that was weird. Why would Ozorne do that? Flaaaaaaaaaame me. I know it was short, and the next chapter will probably be short too, but the chapter after that will be longer. Whatever comments, compliments, flames or suggestions you have, give 'em to me and R/R. 


	2. Escape

Here is part two, I haven't looked at the reviews so I have decided that whether or not anybody likes this, and whether or not it is worth reading, I am going to write more. Oh, and one more thing: It'll say for the second chapter of Themma's Escapades that I want five reviews before I did the next chapter, but I got tired of waiting. I'm putting everything up as soon as I can get online, and if you don't like it SO THERE!!! PS, Daine is going to be pretty OOC, I'm not very good at writing on quotes.

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TT part 2: Daine

Chapter 2: Escape

Veralidaine Sarrasri, or her Imperial Majesty, flowed down the stairs in her new dress. She hated it. It was pink, a frilly affair with massive amounts of lace. She felt as if the bodice would cut off her air, it was that tight. Upon reaching the bottom, she gave orders to the servants to get out of the way. She was in a bad mood.

"And I've had enough of this "yes, nobility" and "no, nobility." It's enough to drive a person mad! Will you just shut up already?!?" 

Daine irritably sat down in her throne, recently made beside Kaddar's. Ozorne was murdered just a few months ago, and Carthak had finally gotten out of mourning. Personally, Daine had preferred black to such horrible pink! It didn't help that she was pregnant, despite her protestations to sleeping with the Emperor. Kaddar was okay, but… 

Then the reason for her annoyance entered the room.

"Hello, my lovely wifeness," he said, and plopped down on the larger and more expensive throne beside her. "Enjoying life?"

Daine scowled. "No, no thanks to you."

Her husband sighed. "Do you think I wanted this? Come on, _me,_ marrying some commoner from Galla? It's enough to make all my councilmen go pale."

"I'll have you know, _dearest,_ that my parents are no more commoners than hedgehogs are fleas. And drat that buffle-brained scheme of your father's! Whatever possessed him to do something idiotic like that?" Daine got up and started pacing. "I can't even set my pinky finger in Tortall, for fear of me stirring up a rebellion, and Tortallans can only come for extremely formal, boring visits! I hate my life!"

He patted her hand. "The feeling is mutual, Daine."

She yanked her hand away. "And then Numair disappeared, probably hiding somewhere in the Carthaki slums. And by the last wish of your blasted father, which we _have_ to honor, he is now wanted and has a place on hangman's hill!"

"Ah, the ups and downs of life," Kaddar said philosophically.

"Seems more like downs and downs," Daine muttered.

***

It was the middle of the night. Daine, dressed in breeches, silently crept through the halls of the Imperial Palace, cursing as she banged her toe against a rock.

"I'll get out of this bloody palace and empresship if it kills me!" and with that, she climbed out of the slave's tunnel and into the garden. Daine had with her a pack of supplies snuck from the kitchens, as well as other useful things. She climbed the wall and crept through the Temple District, looking around for anybody who might be looking for a runaway empress. After a few hours, she was deep in the city of Carthak. Daine went into an inn, open late because of some party in the bar. Pulling her hood down farther, she went up to the counter and paid for a room. She lugged her bag up the stairs, and then went back down to join the party.

***

"Oooh," Daine moaned. She shooed an equally hung over man from her bed, wondering what she had done last night. It was best not to remember, so she got up, supporting herself on the edge of the bed before going over to the washstand and splashing water on her face. "I'd better not drink any more, I get awful hangovers and it probably isn't very good for the baby." She made a face, and wished for the thousandth time that she could have bribed some mage to give her an anti-pregnancy spell. Damn!

Then Daine went to check her belongings. Her food, a special magic book, a fortune's worth of black opals and one hundred and fifty silver Thaks were all there. Daine's plan was simple, but difficult. To pull it off she would have to steal a lot of magic from various mages, and she would also have to find Numair. Fortunately the latter would not be difficult. She had a focus from Numair; some of his clipped off nail that she had found in his rooms before he had disappeared. Unfortunately, she would have to steal some magic from some mages, as she had only Wild herself. But she had already figured out that part. Taking three of her opals, Daine stuck them in a lump of clay. Then she made a funnel of her magic, (any kind would do for this part) and placed it on top of the rocks. She traced the six symbols of an elementary Gate of Idramm on the clay, and placed it where all could see. People would be lured by the opals, then would have their magic sucked in by the funnel and into the opals. The Gate of Idramm markings would take effect when the opals had enough magic, and it would cause people to be attracted to it and give their magic to it.

A few days later, Daine went back and picked up her minigate. It didn't effect Wild Magic, and the magic was hers, so she merely carried it up to her rooms to work with. Manipulating the magic was easy, and she summoned Numair with a spell from her book. Numair's guards were strong, and it took quite some force to bring him to her. Finally a worn, haggard Numair appeared, panting as if he had been running hard.

"Hello, Numair," she said. 

"Daine?" he croaked. Suddenly he closed the gap between them, and swept her up in a fierce, passionate kiss. Daine, surprised tried to push him away, and then felt that she enjoyed it.

When they finally separated, Numair said, "You're pregnant."

Daine laughed. "Only a blind and deaf man would not have heard the heralds who have been running through town for the past two months. And you shouldn't kiss me, Numair, I'm a married woman."

"Then what are you doing here?" Numair asked.

"I need you for something, Numair," she said. "But first…"

Daine jumped on him and threw him down on the bed, wondering why the hell she wanted to sleep with Numair.

***

Daine's life continued as such, stealing magic from mages and petty sorcerers. Numair also donated magic though he didn't know what it was for. But there was one last thing that she needed…

"Good morning, Daine," said Numair as he gave he a kiss.

"Good morning, Numair," her expression turned solemn. "I'm sorry to do this." And with that she withdrew a dagger from the small of her back, and stabbed Numair viciously in the chest.

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What?!? Has Daine gone mad?!? Find out in the next episode of TT: part 2, Daine.


	3. Jaunne and the Halfling

Hee hee, here I go! Well, I will do a lot of mean stuff to Daine now; maybe this will be brutal to D/N fans…

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Chapter 3: Jaunne and the Halfling

Daine cuddled the 2-day-old baby in her arms, murmuring softly. The baby was spry and energetic, with bright yellow eyes and a flash of magic. This baby had both Wild Magic and the Gift; it was a pity that Daine would never see her grow up. This was the child of Daine and Kaddar, the heir to the Carthaki throne. The child would never know that, of course. Tucking the baby that she had named Jaunne into the basket, she propped her head up on a pillow and picked up the bundle, strode out the door. Humming a wordless tune to herself, Daine walked a few blocks and eenie-meenie-minie-moed until she picked the door of an average Carthaki family. She tiptoed up the steps until she reached the door, and silently left the baby on the doorstep. Daine had no regrets.

Sometimes she felt bad about killing Numair, but it was needed, and he would forgive her, she knew. But meanwhile, something was wrong. She couldn't quite place it; it began when Numair had died, with a slight twinge. But Daine ignored it.

Daine ignored it; and it nearly cost her life. It began with little things, not concentrating in meditation, petty memory loss. Then larger things began to happen. It all started with Rikash…

Daine walked through the woods; one of the few forests left in the area, and picked rare herbs that were needed for her spells. She was slowly growing in power, but her plan could not be put into action for a while now. The she saw him. She had seen this particular immortal before, and she knew who this one was. Rikash Moonsword was a stormsing, with a human torso and head, but the wings and claws of and eagle. The unnatural thing: his feathers and claws were of steel. Stormsings reeked, and were possibly the ugliest beings in all the eastern lands, but their singing counterbalanced it all. The singing of a stormsing could create valleys and dry rivers, but most importantly, they could make any mortal think that he/she was the most beautiful being in the world. They seduced and that was what they were made for.

Daine saw him, saw him singing, and her heart began to pound. She was drawn to him more than she had ever been drawn to Kaddar, or even Numair. He was beauty itself. 

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Ha, ha! Thought Rikash. _So easy! She's like putty in my claws!_ And the immortal seduced her like only a stormsing could do. 

***

Five hors later, Daine was torn up bad and Rikash was gone. This was not quite like any other stormsing seducing; this was different. Because when stormsings make love to mortals, nothing happens. The female cannot conceive. But this time…

***

Daine was scared. More scared than she had ever been in her entire life. She was pregnant with a stormsings' child. If she survived to bear it, the birth would probably kill her. She still had the scars from when Rikash had made love to her. Most likely Daine would be torn up from the inside before the monster was even born. And also, Daine was loosing her humanity. She didn't know it, but when Numair had died, his shield between her self and her magic had disappeared. Now she was beginning to think strange thoughts… Thoughts of living on the edge, of flying on steel wings and reveling in fooling silly mortals. She began to feel disdain for men and women, not knowing it was the child she carried that affected her so. Several times she caught herself cackling gleefully, or trying to flap her arms and fly away. When she finally caught on, it was too late. She bore her child in the forest, alone, and barely lived. The child she abandoned, human except for wings of steel that sprouted from the poor girl's shoulder blades. She lay there, bleeding, trying to lick her wounds, and growling at any animal that came near. Eventually she healed, and ran off in the forest, wild. She became friends with a stag, perhaps more than friends. She often changed between deer and human form, making love to the stag in both (***man, Daine has really lost it***). Now there was no Cloud to nip her, to remind her that she was human. 

It was ten years later before Daine realized who she was. She saw her stash of opals, hidden among the trees, and winced as the lights flashed and she touched them. Then slowly, it all began to come back. Her plan. She went out in the night as a wolf, and stole some clothes. Then, in various forms, she took money and nesessities for her plan. It was a long time before she had enough magic, but she still had the right book. At Hallow's Eve Daine rented a room in an in, and with her stolen Gift, started the spell.

She put a lock of Numair's hair on the table, and bowed before it.

"The Death of one, is now done, retourns again, to my den, Life one more, open to me the door."

All her collected magic in the rocks poured out onto the lock of hair, the hair pulsing and vibrating until it fell off the table, forming into a tall, handsome, black-haired man.

"Hello, Numair," she said.

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Hee hee! I'm baaaad! The things that I do! Daine has been very naughty lately, who knows where that stag has been? *giggles*. Flaaaaaaaame me.


	4. Explinations

Twiddle dee, twiddle dum- I'm being naughty. Hee hee hee, on we go to mystery *laughs as she is dragged away in a straightjacket* 

Disclaimer, I didn't create any of TP's stuff, etc. etc. 

Umm, there is a lot of swearing in this one, so don't say I didn't tell you.

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Chapter 4: Explanations

Daine smiled at Numair, who was halfway between rejoicing and pissed off.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!?" he practically screamed. "You fucking killed me and now you are breaking all the gods-be-damned laws of physics to bring me back to life! I was _killed_ ten years ago, Daine, and I was meant to stay that way!"

If there was one thing that Daine had achieved in the past ten years, it was learning to toy with people. She put on a sad, dejected look. "Numair- *sniff* you know I love you. What would people say if they saw us together, you fourteen years older than I am? It would be scandalous."

He was easy to fool. "Magelet, oh, I'm so sorry- here, let me wipe those tears away-" he reached up and brushed her cheek with his fingertips.

Inwardly Daine gloated. She was cracking up. _Hee hee hee, he never learns! _

As if reading her thoughts, suddenly he got mad again. "But _Daine,_" he said, "screwing the _Emperor, _and _stormsings, _and _deer_ and who the fuck knows what else!"

Daine put on her soppy look again. "But while you were gone- I was desolate. And that barrier, Numair, the one you made between my magic and my self? When you died, it disappeared. I forgot I was human." She started to cry. _I should become an actress,_ she thought. _Players would turn green with envy._

Numair fell for it. Within half an hour, they were making love. _This is just too damned easy. Men are so easy to handle…_

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Yeah, that was real short. That's enough on this one, it was a good ride while it lasted. On to part three! Just one last blurb and this one is going to end.


	5. The End?

This is the last blurb, about what happens to Daine later in her life. I will do more on something that kind of extends from this story- whoops, better not spoil the secret! But really no more about Daine. And soo…

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Chapter 5: The End?

Daine had one more child, a boy, by Numair. She took care of him for maybe four or five years and then left him in an orphanage when she got tired of him. The stag in the woods that she was with, well, she had a child by him (nasty) and the child stayed in the woods and was brought up by deer. The baby looked remarkably like his grandfather (hint hint).

Daine lived in Carthak, her and Numair eloped and hid from the law as they pieced together an existence. But Daine's story is not so final as it seems… 

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Please R/R!!!! Please please please please please please please!!!!!!! D/N fans, please spare me the flames. Daine really did love Numair; she is just such a slut (tee hee).


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